(Extra Of Minho & Newt) Annabelle
by Heroes Fly-Minho's Hero Limps
Summary: She wanted a mom who would take care of her when she was scared, and a dad who would help her up when she fell. She wanted real parents. Instead, she got two people who were so much better...


-Annabelle-

-Honestly, I have no idea where this came from. Just something cute I decided to write. Let me know what you all think! And I hope you like Annabelle! :)-

Her name was Annabelle. And everyone at Mary's Home for Girls insisted that she was the most adorable little orphan they'd ever seen.

She was seven-and-a-half years old. She had long, wavy auburn hair that Miss Mary (the plump, curly-haired owner of the orphanage) always pinned back with a red ribbon. Her eyes were green as glens and her skin was tanned from constant bike riding outside in the summer. Her favorite shirt was red. Her favorite color was blue. She was weird like that, but she didn't mind. The only thing that ever made her sad was watching other kids get adopted. She always had to stay behind.

The mothers and fathers who came to visit on the special Visiting Day said she was too hyper. Too energetic. Too quirky and rebellious and always saying what was on her mind. She never saw those traits as bad things, and neither did Miss Mary. Miss Mary defended her many times and the little girl was grateful. But still, no one adopted her. And so, she waited. Every Visiting Day, when the doors of the orphanage were open to new couples, she waited for those special people who would become her mom and dad.

She was so excited to finally meet them.

-o-o-o-

"Miss Mary?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you think THOSE two would like me?" Annabelle, or as many called her, Belle, was stretching her finger out toward a couple near the side of the room. They were just in front of the oak front doors of the orphanage. They were golden-haired, and wore expensive-looking clothes. She wouldn't mind having them as parents.

Miss Mary followed Belle's gaze and tapped her chin in thought. "Well," she began, her voice like a chirping bluebird, "they certainly seem nice. And a bit wealthy. Maybe."

Belle glanced over from where she leaned in the doorway beside Miss Mary. "D'ya think I should go over and talk to them?" she asked hopefully.

"Oh, I don't know." Miss Mary offered the girl a gentle smile, dark-chocolate ringlets haloing her face. "You know what happened the last time you tried to talk to a couple like them."

"Oh, yeah. Nevermind." Belle winced at that. The LAST rich couple she'd spoken to had acted so outraged at the girl's audacity that they'd marched off to adopt someone else. Needless to say, Belle felt a bit glad that she hadn't been taken by the stuck-up mom and dad.

But she still wanted them, ached for them. She wanted a mom that would sing like the angels in heaven and a dad who would pick her up when she fell. Every night, she prayed for them. She hoped they found her soon. Curious, she scanned the crowded room again.

It was Visiting Day at the orphanage. Couples were all gathering in the big entrance, making the high white walls seem less...high. They were all chatting and laughing, looking so happy. Many of them were talking with the staff at the orphanage, telling them why they needed to adopt and what child they would like to take home. Some of them were even talking to children. Belle could see her friend Sophie giggling at something a man had said, her blonde hair bouncing. Gee, Belle wished she had someone to talk to. Other than Miss Mary, that is.

Her wistful thoughts were interrupted when Miss Mary bumped her lightly on the shoulder. "Look over there, sweetie," she encouraged, pointing. Her smile was wide and urging. "There's a very nice couple across the room. Why don't you try talking to them?"

Belle looked over eagerly. An elated squeak escaped her and she clasped her hands together. Oh, they were just lovely. The mom had soft brown hair, kind eyes, and a radiant smile. The dad was tall, his gaze warm, and he spoke to his wife with light in his face. They were just...just...PERFECT. Belle would love to be their child! She spun to face Miss Mary. "Okay, sure!" she replied enthusiastically. "I'll go talk to them! You wait and see, they'll adopt me!"

"Good luck, then dear," Miss Mary chuckled. She gave Belle a wink, as though they were fellow conspirators. "Tell them that if they decide to adopt, they just have to see me."

"I will, don't worry!" Belle could barely wait! Her own family! She took off into the moving crowd of couples. Years spent running the halls of the orphanage had gotten her used to weaving through masses of people. She caught snippets of conversation as she passed, names of people and places she'd never seen. She had to duck under arms and squeeze past legs. Once, she nearly tripped. She was panting by the time she drew near to the couple at the back. But it was worth it. Her heart was blooming with joy in her chest. She was going to get a family. She was going to be happy. She was going to—

Suddenly, she felt her ankle hook around a man's shoe. She stumbled, and lost her footing on the hardwood floor. A little gasp tore from her as the ground rushed up toward her face.

"Whoa!" A voice met her ears, a second before a pair of hands caught her under the arms. She felt her eyes growing wide as the hands lifted her up with ease and placed her back on her feet. "You okay?"

"Y—yes, I'm okay," she answered, shaken and now-embarrassed in front of a stranger. She shuffled her feet. "I'm—" Then she looked up and stopped in bewilderment.

The man looking down at her wasn't all dressed up and rich. He wore jeans and a simple black T-shirt. His hands were in his pockets. Eyes like chips of obsidian gazed down at her from a sharp face, and his hair was black as raven's feathers. He appeared concerned at her almost-fall, head cocked to one side as he studied her. But that wasn't what was so bewildering about him.

"Where's your wife?" Belle asked, blurting out the question like she always did. She couldn't help it; there was no mom in sight, so why was this guy here all alone?

The guy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "My wife? What do you mean, where is she?"

She waved her arms at the people around them. "I mean, everyone here is a mommy and daddy looking for a kid!" she explained. "So you must want a kid too! Don't you need a mommy to take care of a kid with you?"

"Not all the time."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So you're all alone?"

"I never said that."

"...you sure are weird, mister."

He smiled then, and his smile was crooked and made her feel like he WAS a dad. He knelt down in front of her, resting his forearms on his bent knees. Up close, he had flecks of honey in his eyes. "You don't have to call me 'mister,' you know," he told her. "What's your name?"

"Belle," she answered, hands laced behind her back. She tilted her head. "If I can't call you mister, then what do I call you? You gotta name?"

"Yeah, I gotta name," he laughed. "It's Minho."

She wrinkled her nose. "That's a funny name."

Minho's gaze flickered. "You think that's a funny name? Wait til you meet—"

Just then, he was cut off by another man walking up behind him, looking flustered. "Min, I swear to God, I just saw Brenda. And if not, than someone who looks just like her. It's freaking me out. And it is bloody hot in here."

Belle scanned this new guy. He looked so different from Minho! He had soft-looking, golden hair that fell across his forehead. He was lean and lanky in a denim shirt that looked suspiciously big on him. And his voice... It was strange and accented, but in a good way, Belle thought. Very pretty to listen to.

"Hi!" she greeted cheerfully. She waved to get his attention. "I'm Belle! Are you Minho's friend?"

The guy blinked at her. His eyes were like deep pools of glacier water. "Uh..."

Minho grinned broadly at her. "Belle, this is Newt; Newt, meet Belle." He gestured to each of them as he introduced them. "And yes, Newt is my...friend." He said "friend" like it was a secret word, code for something else.

"Wow, now THAT'S a funny name!" Belle giggled.

"I know, right?" Minho's grin became a rakish smirk.

Newt glanced back and forth between them. His lips were curving as though he was about to smile. "You guys look like you're already best friends," he remarked in amusement.

"We are!" Belle exclaimed brightly. "You wanna be my OTHER new best friend?"

"Sure, why not?" He shrugged, his lips turning up even more.

"Awesome! Maybe you guys can help me find a family!"

Newt's cheerful expression faltered. "You weren't adopted yet?" he asked.

Belle shook her head. "Nope! But I always visit people on Visiting Day. Cuz someone's gonna HAVE to take me someday, right?"

"Absolutely," Minho answered, as though he believed it with all his heart. He stood up, tugging the hem of his shirt into place. Then he shocked Belle when he lifted a hand behind Newt, as though pressing it to the blonde's lower back. It was done casually, like it had been done many times before. But she'd only ever seen couples holding each other like that.

Minho spoke in a quieter voice then, to Newt. But Belle still caught the words. "What do you think?" he asked.

Newt bit his lip. "I don't know, Minho," he exhaled. "We've only been here a day. Maybe we should give it some time before we make a decision."

"But look at her. She's all alone."

"I know. I'm just saying, we shouldn't rush into this."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Listen, why don't we hold off for right now? We can come back, keep visiting her. Then we can decide. Okay?"

"...okay, fine. But I don't think I'll be changing my mind on this one."

Belle felt a spike of panic. She rushed two steps forward. "Oh, don't leave!" she pleaded, gazing up at them with round eyes. "How'll I find a mom and dad if you don't help me? You're the only people that have ever been nice to me, besides Miss Mary."

The two looked surprised that she'd overheard them. Newt gave her a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry, Belle," he told her. "We'll come back really soon."

"And find you some parents," Minho added, with a pointed glance at Newt.

Belle bounced up and down with joy. This was great! She'd find a family in no time now! "I can't wait to get my own parents!" she cheered aloud, and danced about in a circle, right there in the middle of everyone.

She thought she heard Minho mutter, "I hope she likes cats."

-o-o-o-

The next two weeks were wonderful. Spring was in the air again. Trees outside along the sidewalk were budding in the warming air; they all looked like clouds of red and pink pulled down from the sky. Kids were out riding bikes or playing ball again. Sometimes, they skipped past the orphanage and Belle would say hi from an open window. She was never envious of them though. Not anymore. She had plenty of friends and things to do at Miss Mary's.

Now, though, she also had the Newton's.

Minho and Newt came to see her almost every day. They said hello with equal, glowing grins, and assured her that they were still looking for her future parents. They went back many times to talk to Miss Mary too. Every time they left, Miss Mary would be laughing and cheerful. It was as though the pair's goodness was contagious. They were spreading it everywhere they went.

Belle looked forward to these visits every single day. She found herself waiting beside the front door a lot, standing on tiptoe to peek out the window. When a certain midnight-blue car pulled up, she always felt excitement light up inside of her. Newt brought her pictures, a new one each time he came. Some of them were elegantly black-and-white and others were vibrant with color. All of them were special: a rose petal floating on water, a bridge spanning a gleaming river, or a calico kitten stretched out in the sun. She loved all of them, and the stories that came with them.

Minho made her laugh when he came. They would hide out on the sprawling porch together, and whisper the funniest jokes about the people passing by. Belle snickered until her sides hurt. One time, Minho brought a lazily curving guitar with him. He sat out with her in the evening and sang her any song she liked. His voice was like angels in heaven, she thought.

There were many things she noticed about the two as well. Like how Newt stood practically all up in Minho's personal space, or how Minho liked to hang two fingers on Newt's belt loop. When they talked, it seemed like they were sharing things that only they knew about. Newt was only ever taken off-guard when around Minho, and Minho only grew all soft when around Newt. One time, she snuck up behind them when they weren't paying attention, out on the sidewalk. She was sure their fingers were intertwined, and Newt said something that made Minho grin and mumble, "angel."

Belle didn't entirely understand. She'd only ever seen moms and dads together before. What would it be like to have TWO dads? She waited carefully, and then, one Saturday, she decided to find out. She was perched on the porch swing, rocking slowly back and forth. Minho was sitting cross-legged on the floor across from her. His fingers were busy plucking out chords on his guitar.

Belle watched him for a long moment. Then, "Minho?"

"Hm?"

"Why d'you call Newt 'angel?'"

Minho lifted his head sharply and, to her amazement, he blushed. "When did you hear that?" he asked, not in anger.

"When you guys were holdin' hands the other day," she replied. "It was kinda cute, actually."

"Cute?"

"Yup!" She blew a strand of red hair out of her face. "So why DO you call him angel?"

Minho lowered his eyes in a way that hinted at bashfulness. "Well...we're together, Belle. Just like the people you see at the orphanage, who want to adopt someone."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Are you guys MARRIED?" she demanded, voice rising with both astonishment and delight.

"Yeah, we are." Minho slipped a golden ring off his finger and held it up for her to see. His smile was positively radiant.

"That's so cool!" Belle exclaimed. Then she let out a giggle, covering her mouth with a hand. "Sooo, who's the husband and who's the wife then?"

"I'M definitely the husband," Minho stated importantly, putting his ring back on. He completely missed Newt sneaking up behind him at that instant. Belle fought down her sniggers until it was too much. But by then, Newt had already set his hands on top of Minho's shoulders and scared him so bad, he yelped like a girl.

"I'm pretty sure if anyone acts like a wife here, it's you," Newt pointed out. His blue eyes flitted to Belle with playfulness glinting in their depths.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Isaac," Minho teased in return.

"Your real name's Isaac?!" Belle asked gleefully. "I never knew that!"

"And I wasn't expecting you to find out," Newt deadpanned with a pointed glare directed at Minho. His hands rubbed tiny circles into Minho's shoulders. "You ready to leave?"

Minho's good mood seemed to darken at that. "Um. No. Not today." He carefully placed his guitar on the porch next to him and clambered agilely to his feet. "Can I talk to you for a second, Newt?" he asked, gaze traveling uncertainly between his husband and Belle.

Surprise registered in Newt's expression, but he only nodded. "Belle, would you mind...leaving us alone for a minute?" he asked.

Belle was burning with curiosity, but she shrugged. "Sure! I'll go see if Miss Mary needs help with dinner!" She waved happily, then dashed across the porch. Jumping the steps, her shoes clapped to the ground with a jolt, and then she was running again. But instead of looking for Miss Mary, she raced around to the side of the building. Skidding to a stop at the wall, she pressed her back against it to catch her breath. There was no way she was gonna miss whatever those two wanted to talk about! So she hid where they wouldn't see her...and where she could hear them.

There was the sound of shifting feet. Then Minho's voice spoke, serious and edged with emotion. "I can't leave her here again, Newt. She's lonely, she needs a family. You saw the way she talks about having parents and a home. It would make her so happy."

Newt's sigh followed. "I know that, Minho. But are you sure about this? All we have right now is a guest room at home. And we'd need so much more to take care of her."

"I don't care. I'll get her anything. And I know you would too. You care about her."

Belle's heart was pounding by now. Was she hearing things right? Did Minho and Newt actually want to ADOPT her?

Newt was speaking again. "I do. I just want to know that this is the best thing for her. That WE'RE what's best for her."

"We are; we're the only ones that ever wanted her."

"What if she doesn't want us?"

"..."

"Min..."

"I love her." Minho's voice was softer now, gentler. "She's not our daughter, not yet, but I love her."

Belle couldn't help but gasp in unrestrained joy. They loved her! They wanted her to be their daughter! After so long, she was finally going to have a home! She danced in place at the mere idea of it.

"Minho," Newt began, and then paused. "I always felt like she was ours, from the beginning. And I guess we did fill out all the paperwork... But we have to tell her, and if she doesn't want us—"

Belle couldn't stand it. She burst from her hiding place right then and leaped onto the porch with a thump. A wide grin surfaced on her face when she saw Newt and Minho turn toward her, startled. She threw her arms up gleefully. "Of COURSE I want you to be my parents!" she exclaimed.

Minho's eyes widened. "You heard us?"

"Uh, yeah! And I really want you to be my dad...and dad!"

"You're sure you want to come with us, Belle?" Newt asked. Absently, he rested a hand on Minho's shoulder. "We wouldn't be—like other families you've seen."

"Who cares? Other families are boring!" She skipped over the porch to them, hardly able to contain her bubbling excitement. She stopped when Minho knelt down in front of her, Newt doing the same thing beside him. "You guys are great! Oh, please let me be your daughter, please! I swear I'll be good! And do all my homework, even though I think I'll kinda hate that."

Minho let out a bark of laughter. "Don't worry about any of that," he said reassuringly. "We don't care about all that stuff; we only care about you."

Belle beamed at them both joyfully. "I just can't believe it!" she squealed. And, before she thought twice, she hopped up and hugged them both, arms stretching to include Minho's broader shoulders. She felt them stiffen for second and then two pairs of arms were hugging her back. Just like parents would. She closed her eyes. "I love you guys," she mumbled into their shoulders.

And two voices, one smooth and one accented, answered her. "We love you too, Belle."


End file.
